Defining Environmental Citizenship Dr Benito Cao Senior Lecturer in Politics, The University of Adelaide (Australia) 1st European Joint Meeting, 28 Feb – 2 Mar 2018, Lemesos, Cyprus
Defining Environmental Citizenship
Dr Benito Cao Senior Lecturer in Politics, The University of Adelaide (Australia)
1st European Joint Meeting, 28 Feb – 2 Mar 2018, Lemesos, Cyprus
environmental citizenship
environment and citizenship
The Basics: Concepts and Histories
Introducing Citizenship Theories
Theorizing Environmental Citizenship
Environmental Citizenship in Action
Governing Environmental Citizenship
Environmental Citizenship Incorporated
Learning Environmental Citizenship
environment: the concept
The roots of the term lie in the French word environ, meaning to
surround, to envelop, to enclose. In this sense, environment is
synonymous with surroundings. [environment: a relational concept]
but typically: environment = nature = natural env.
humans and nature: two views
Anthropocentrism describes the tendency for human
beings to regard themselves as the central and most
significant entities in the universe, or the assessment
of reality through a human-centred perspective. This is a major concept in the field of environmentalism, where it is often considered
to be the root cause of problems created by human interaction with the environment.
Ecocentrism is used in ecological political philosophy
to denote a nature-centred, as opposed to human-
centred (i.e. anthropocentric), system of values.
humans and nature: history
the first humans: out of nature
ancient philosophers: e.g. Aristotle
ancient religions: e.g. Christianity
romantic authors: e.g. Keats, Byron
scientific revolution ... industrialism
late 19th and early 20th century:
Conservationism e.g. National Parks
tension: environment vs development
mid-20th century: environmentalism
ecological interdependence
Blue Marble (1972)
sustainable development
The Brundtland Report (1987)
sustainable development: development that
meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
the concept implies that generations yet
unborn have an entitlement to live in a
undiminished natural environment.
i.e. the rights of future citizens/humans
i.e. the responsibility of present citizens
inequality: global North vs global South
sustainable consumption
ecological footprint: calculator
unsustainable consumption
differentiated responsibility
environmental citizenship
Van Steenbergern: Towards a Global Ecological Citizen”
Van Steenbergen (1994): ecological citizenship is concerned with the
rights and responsibilities of the earth citizen. Ecological citizenship
consists of a series of rights (e.g. clean air, clean water … ‘right to life’)
and duties (e.g. not to pollute) which should be seen as sitting alongside
T.H. Marshall’s civil, political and social rights. [additional dimension]
environmental, ecological, sustainable, green, etc.
citizenship: the concept
‘Citizenship is a notoriously polyvalent
concept, with many meanings and
applications’. (Joppke 2010: 1)
citizenship: membership of a
political community which comes
with a series of rights and duties.
citizenship has become synonymous with
membership of a nation-state, but political
communities have differed throughout history:
city-state, empire, nation-state, cosmopolis …
citizenship: the elements
who: status [membership]
what: rights [protection]
civil (protection against the state: freedoms)
political (right to vote and hold public office)
social (protection against economic hardship)
what: duties [participation]
military service, social service, paying taxes
obeying the laws, voting (where compulsory)
serving on juries (in some countries)
how: education
education for citizenship is not an optional extra, but an integral part of the concept (Heater 2004)
education for citizenship
Why Citizenship Matters (6:17)
Short film following Hamza, a student,
exploring why citizenship matters in his daily
life. [note: the environment matters]
the topic: moral, social and cultural issues
keywords: citizenship, responsibility, future,
environmental concern, recycling, caring,
consequences, volunteering, stereotype.
themes: recycling, bike-lanes, global poverty
membership: global village
community: the planet
membership: all humans
Earth Hour/Earth Day
future citizens/humans
animals (all or only some)
nature (the ecosystem)
rights: human rights
to a healthy environment … health rights
e.g. clean air, clean water … vs pollution
example: the South African Constitution
to a place where to live [climate refugees]
rights: animal rights
The Great Ape Project (1993)
Declaration of the Rights of Great Apes.
Right to life
Protection of individual liberty
Prohibition of torture
Paul Watson: Sea Shepherd
animals feel/suffer pain
… against animal cruelty
the crew and passengers:
survival depends on crew
rights: nature’s rights
Chipko, Ecuador, Bolivia ...
The Rights of Mother Earth
leave things on the ground
ABC: What if trees could sue?
duties: human duties
duties towards nature
duties towards others
e.g. mindful consumption
[sustainable consumption]
the danger of tyranny:
eco-authoritarianism green police (video link)
sustainability with justice
[sustainable development]
whose duties (debate)
citizens/humans ... present;
some more than others e.g.
differentiated responsibility
corporations (as citizens);
CSR/CorpEnvlCiti … but:
property rights
voluntary duties
duties outsourced
states/govs: governmentality:
i.e. governing through citizens;
individualized responsibility.
green(ing) citizenship: r+d+m
1. impact on rights:
additional rights: clear air, potable water, etc.
extension of rights beyond present citizens
future generations: the right to a healthy planet
extension of rights beyond citizens/humans
animals, nature: not to suffer, biodiversity
emphasis on property rights, driven by corps.
2. impact on duties:
additional duties: green duties e.g. recycling
voluntary and individualised responsibilities
3. impact on membership: additional members: future humans, animals
defining environmental citizenship
Environmental Citizenship is defined as the responsible pro-
environmental behaviour of citizens who act and participate in
society as agents of change in the private and public sphere,
on a local, national and global scale, through individual and
collective actions, in the direction of solving contemporary
environmental problems, preventing the creation of new
environmental problems, achieving sustainability as well as
developing a healthy relationship with nature. Environmental
Citizenship includes the exercise of environmental rights and
duties, as well as the identification of the underlying structural
causes of environmental degradation and environmental
problems, the development of the willingness and the
competences for critical and active engagement and civic
participation to address those structural causes, acting
individually and collectively within democratic means, and
taking into account inter- and intra-generational justice.
(European Network for Environmental Citizenship, 2018)
Thank you!